~ Day by day with RA …

Yet Another Doctor

So I have a new doctor added to my stable of health-care professionals — a really nice otolaryngologist (or ear, nose, and throat guy).

Since last fall, I’ve been dealing with my right ear clogging up. It would clog up — like it does on an airplane — for several days, then be okay for a week or two, then clog up again. Not my left ear. Not my nose or sinuses. Just my right ear.

Three weeks ago it stopped up and hasn’t opened up since, so I decided to get it checked. It’s been really aggravating because it affects my hearing on that side. Fortunately, my husband is usually on my left side, but there have been times that we’ve had to switch seats or walk on the other side of each other just so I could hear him.

The right side is also my “telephone” ear, and there have been times I’ve picked up the phone only to realize I couldn’t hear/understand what was being said.

The good new is that there is no infection going on.

So now I’m on an extended regime of three nose sprays, including a cortisone spray to hopefully relieve the inflammation that’s causing the problem.

My husband questioned using a nose spray to treat an ear problem, but I explained it’s much like getting a steroid shot in my hip to fix my knee issue last week — which so far is working out. (The knee bone is connected to the hip bone …)

Today I can’t tell much difference, but I’m supposed to go for three weeks before we try something else. (Not sure what, but something.)

On another note, the folic acid my rheumy prescribed to help relieve some of the fatigue seems to be helping. So even though I can’t hear out of one ear, I’m feeling better and a bit better at coping with the situation.

Hope whatever you hear in your life today brings you a smile. Thanks for checking in.